Reality Check - Heartbreaking Cuts and Confusing Choices - Video
TVLine.com's Michael Slezak returns with American Idol Season 6 finalist Melinda Doolittle for an all-new Reality Check, dissecting the week in reality singing competitions!
This week, Michael and Melinda analyze the judges' picks for the Final Judgment on American Idol XIII. There were a lot of heartbreaking cuts coupled along with some genuinely confusing choices, as some people will denied a Top 30 spot in favor of contestants who just aren't ready for primetime. So which singers would Michael and Melinda have cut? And which singers do they feel the judges erred in putting through? Find out by watching the most intriguing episode of the season so far via TVLine:
Credit: TVLine
Thoughts
Michael and Melinda make a good point I'd completely overlooked: what DID happen to Paula Hunt and Ryan Nesbitt?
I'm beginning to think they're right, that if you're the kind of person who in any way gets attached to reality show singers, it might be best to just skip the first six weeks of American Idol altogether, since people tend to disappear with little fanfare, and less explanation. Seriously, given all the screentime he got, you'd think they'd have shown what happened to Munfarid Zaidi. Especially considering the not-ready-for-primetime nature of some of the people that got through, from Jordan Brisbane to Briston Maroney, neither of whom I particularly like as singers (although they seem like terrific chaps).
With all that said, I do disagree with Michael and Melinda on several key points, namely that I'm nowhere near as high on George Lovett, Malcolm Allen, or Briana Oakley. They all have excellent voices, but Briana is the only real star I see of that trio, and even then, her charisma doesn't always shine through (even though I know it's there, in spades). Of course, Briana is likely a contestant that's going to grow as the competition rolls on, and she comes across as more of a potential star than most, so I don't have an issue with her being rated highly. Of course, I'm glad Michael and Melinda are as ticked about the new semifinals twist as I am. It's absurd to eliminate a third of the field before they even get to perform, and it makes me wonder why in the hell they didn't just put through 20-24 people in the first place and save ten people a whole world of heartache. But I suppose that's how TV works, where executives view "good TV" in terms of how many dreams can be crushed in the most dramatic fashion. Blech.
But hey, at least we have a largely talented Top 30. Barring any Season 9 semifinal disasters, this should be a great season. It's just a question of whether we can trust the judges (or America) to make the right choices. Then again, one man's "right" is another man's "wrong".
What do you think? Which singers would you have cut, and which would you have put through? Sound off in the comments!